Orange Beef

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This Orange Beef stir fry is a fantastic quick and easy dinner where tender strips of sirloin steak and crisp green beans are cooked in a flavorful citrusy sauce. On the table in just 25 minutes.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: orange beef, orange beef recipe, orange beef stir fry

Servings:

Ingredients

zest from a small orange
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3/4 pound fresh green beans , ends cut, trimmed into 2-inch pieces
salt and pepper , to taste
1 & 1/2 pounds sirloin sliced very thin across the grain and then into 2-inch wide pieces
2 scallions , diced
cooked white rice , for serving

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat the sesame oil over medium-high. Add the green beans and sauté for about 4 minutes until charred and crisp-tender. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a large bowl.
Make sure the skillet is still hot. Pat the sirloin dry with paper towels and season with a bit of salt and pepper; add to the skillet, spreading the pieces out in a single layer as best you can; let cook, without stirring, for 1 minute. Give it a toss and transfer to the bowl with the green beans.
Give the orange juice mixture a quick stir to reincorporate the ingredients, then add it to the skillet; cook scraping up any brown bits, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Add the sirloin and green beans back into the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and the scallions; toss to coat. Serve over cooked rice and enjoy.

Notes

Slice beef across the grain. Slice thinly across (not with) the grain of your beef. This helps break down the fibers and make it tender.

Add beef to a very hot skillet. This allows it to get a good sear and lock in the juices.

Avoid over-crowding the pan. Over-crowding the meat will cool off the pan faster and also steam the beef instead of sear it.

Don’t overcook the beef. Overcooking the beef will make it tough and hard to chew. In this recipe, the beef is cut into thin strips and seared for only a minute, then transferred to a plate, and added back in with the sauce to finish cooking.

Nutrition